While the second wave of the Internet development was about social networks and social economy, the third wave of the Internet will be about Internet of Everything (data) and Knowledge. Through the new market of the knowledge management (KM) -TAM of € 175 billion ($140) and growing-, organizations are seeking to acquire or create potentially useful knowledge and to make it available to achieve maximum effective usage to positively influence organizational performance. 80 percent of CEOs who are investing heavily in artificial intelligence also publicly pledged to retain and retrain existing employees. ZAPIENS is an Artificial Intelligence unit that, using Natural Language Processing, trains people, identifies talent, delivers "people analytics" and makes the process of gathering and sharing knowledge seamless. What ZAPIENS is doing is beyond of the current state-of-the-art: we're testing the most advanced techniques and models in real-world data provided by our customers together with the symbolic representations of knowledge and qualitative feedback they give. We're entering in unexplored AI applications but the results we have today are very promising. We already have a fully functional version of our training and peer-to-peer sharing information tool (TRL 8). But in terms of technological innovation (linked to the AI), our stage of development is equal to TRL 7. ZAPIENS has been growing sales from incorporation at 3x in annual basis. For 2018 we expect € 1 million in revenue (half already secured), growing to € 24 million by 2021. This means that, three years after the inception of the H2020 phase-2, ZAPIENS will have an aggregate of € 35+ millions in revenue. ZAPIENS can be the market leader because is the first mover. We have the foundations to build a global game-changer company. Now, we need to speed-up our development and growth, that's why we're asking for the SME Instrument support.

At European and International scale, the current convergence of many digital and breakthrough technologies brings a new period of transformation of our economy and society. Artificial Intelligence (AI) is nowadays the main technological challenge, discussed within all industrial and service sectors, with an expected growth between $12.5 billion in 2017 to $46 billion by 2020. In the specific sector of Human Resources Management, AI shows a slow uptake fuelled by a lack of understanding, training and misconceptions on the role of AI in the workplace. Nevertheless, AI-powered analytics tools have proven the potential of AI in HR management processes, and HRTECH is becoming a popular term. In this context, the HIRING project aims to prepare the current and next generation of human resources manager to the integration of artificial intelligence tools in their position. This goal will be reached by providing them, at VET and higher education levels, a innovative training programme based on the following question: “How can AI enhance innovation and creativity within human resources management positions?”Based on this challenge, the HIRING partners has identified 3 specific objectives to achieve this goal: i) Training the HR managers and students to the digital transformation to come in their work environment, ii) Valuing fair and responsible soft skills for implementing AI technologies at the work place and iii) Promoting a more open-minded HR generation opened to atypical career pathways. To achieve this goal, HIRING will use innovative teaching pedagogies tailored to the learners’ needs. In practice, the project will follow a multi-step methodology based on: 1)An in-depth assessment of learners’ skills, pre-existing knowledge and requirements will be conducted, 2)The development of open access training contents including interactive materials and business cases, 3)The creation of a e-learning platform to ensure full accessibility to the contents, 4)The development of a micro-learning application that will enhance the training process and create a collaborative network of students all over Europe, 5)The promotion of mobility activity within start-up in Europe, 6)A breakthrough study on promoting the organisational practices enabling to take up the AI solutions, through an efficient, responsible and fair way. This additional content will be operational to rapid uptake of the concepts by the European companies. HIRING will be coordinated by IPAG, a renowned French Business School who will bring its experience in HR management and innovation. SEDU, a Finnish VET centre specialised in employment training and company competitiveness will implement the project pedagogical outputs within its own human resources services and within existing VET training courses in Finland. From the start-up side, HIRING will benefit from the expertise of HAIKARA, a French start-up specialised in digital learning and of ZAPIENS, one of the top-10 HRTECH start-up in Europe developing micro-learning applications. TUM, a famous German research centre with in-depth knowledge on citizens’ vision of technology will be involved in HIRING to provide perspectives to the project in terms of research opportunities.HIRING will be committed to the creation of valuable open access training contents and will produce a White Paper on human centric approach of technologies in human resources available to ensure the best application of the skills acquired during the project at the level of the companies. Thanks to these activities, HIRING will have significant impacts for the integration of AI processes in workplace, especially in HR management. It will directly improve current and future HR personnel’s understanding and working competences with AI tools. Indirectly, this will impact both employees and companies who will reap the benefits of better work environment, better work perspectives and increased productivity. Furthermore, HIRING will have a positive impact on the scientific knowledge of citizens’ perception of AI processes. On the long-term, the partners expect that it will ease digital integration at the European level, enhancing the citizen’s understanding on new technologies’ potential and promote their fair and responsible use.